The present invention relates generally to improvements in truck bed liners, and more specifically relates to truck bed liners which fasten to a truck bed without drilling into or penetrating the truck bed.
One of the most common devices used for general purpose cargo transporting is a pick-up truck. In order to prevent the bed portion of the pick-up truck from being marred and otherwise damaged by cargo, bed liners have been devised which protect the bed's walls and floor portions from damage. Although truck bed liners prevent damage to the truck bed, mounting techniques which have been used to mount the truck bed liner to the truck bed have introduced problems of their own.
A common technique employed in mounting truck bed liners to truck beds has been to simply drill holes through the liner and through the bed. General purpose utility fasteners such as screws, plastic retaining pins, etc. are inserted in through the existing hole, and the fastener pins the bed to the liner at that particular location. Several of these fasteners would be employed, and ultimately the liner would be safely affixed to the bed. However, there are many drawbacks that accompany this type of fastening technique.
One such drawback is the aesthetically displeasing appearance of the pick-up bed should the pick-up liner ever be removed from the pick-up. Moreover, when such holes are placed in the pick-up bed, paint and other protective coatings are removed, thus introducing the possibility that water, salt and other elements can attack and corrode the bed metal. This destructive corrosion not only shortens the life of the pick-up truck bed, it also diminishes the overall vehicle value and may void certain aspects of the vehicle's warranty.
Accordingly, even with present truck bed liner constructions, there is a need for a liner that affixes to the truck bed without introducing any holes or other modifications which affect the truck bed integrity.
It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide a truck bed liner which can protect the truck bed without introducing any holes into the truck bed.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a truck bed fastening means which can be used multiple times without affecting its ability to retain and hold the truck bed liner within the truck bed.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a fastening means which is strong, durable, corrosion-resistant and inexpensive to manufacture.